Parties to stonewall trading hours

A RETAIL industry push for longer trading hours in Queensland will be stonewalled by the state's two major political parties.

Both the Labor government and the Liberal National Party (LNP) opposition told AAP they would not succumb to the pressure of major retailers to deregulate shopping hours across the state.

The Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA), which represents businesses turning over at least $100 million annually, wants deregulated trading hours, as recommended by a federal government report.
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The Productivity Commission's report, released in December, advocates retail trading hours including public holidays in all states be fully deregulated.

However, for Queensland's trading hours to be overhauled, the state government would have to remove the Industrial Relations Commission's (IRC) power to set trading hours.